1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light emitting element, a method for manufacturing the light emitting element, a light emitting element assembly, and a method for manufacturing the light emitting element assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a surface emitting laser element, for example, an active layer having a multi-quantum well structure is disposed in a cavity sandwiched by two mirror layers disposed in a vertical direction on a substrate. The light generated in the active layer by current injection is confined so as to produce laser oscillation. As disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-210908, a cylindrical mesa structure is usually adopted in the surface emitting laser element. Specifically, for example, a cylindrical mesa structure having a diameter of about 30 μm is produced on the basis of a dry etching method or the like. This mesa structure is composed of, for example, a laminated structure of a n-type compound semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a p-type compound semiconductor layer. A part of the p-type compound semiconductor layer is oxidized from a side surface of the mesa structure and, thereby, a current confinement region is disposed at a center portion of the p-type compound semiconductor layer. Subsequently, the mesa structure is covered with an insulating layer, a part of the top surface of the p-type compound semiconductor layer is removed, and a ring-shaped p-side electrode is formed around the perimeter of the top surface of the p-type compound semiconductor layer. In addition, an n-type electrode is formed on the back surface of the substrate. The disposition of such a current confinement region can facilitate high-efficiency injection of current into the active layer. Consequently, regarding the surface emitting laser having the above-described structure, a current is injected into the active layer efficiently, and laser oscillation can be performed with a high degree of efficiency.